Lamp socket terminal block assembly



July 25, 1967 H. EGE

LAMP SOCKET TERMINAL BLOCK ASSEMBLY R m E V W HANS EGE BY 07 W 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JVMM-T ATT'YS Filed Sept. 27, 1965 July 25, 1967 H. EGE 3,333,228

LAMP SOCKET TERMINAL BLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IE. I

INVENTOR HANS EGE BY QYM W 4 ATT'YS United States Patent 3,333,228 LAMP SOCKET TERMINAL BLOCK ASSEMBL Hans Ege, Chicago, 111., assignor to Underwriters Safety Device Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of lliinois Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,547 Claims. (Cl. 339-55) This invention relates to a new and improved lamp mounting arrangement and terminal blocks therefor. More I specifically, the present invention relates to a lam mounting arrangement which is inexpensive, easily manufactured and assembled. Also forming a part of the invention is a new and improved lamp socket terminal block which may be rigidly mounted in the lamp tray with a single fastener, and which through a novel groove arrangement permits individual conductors on the terminal block to be rigidly mounted by a single fastener also. Suitable means is provided to resiliently and conductingly receive the end cap portions of a fluorescent lamp. A center condoctor is also provided which is joined in a unique manner to the terminal block. Although a different circuit is provided on each terminal block, the blocks are of uniform construction, permitting both to be made with a common mold for economy of manufacture. Other advantages will become apparent when the objects are considered in conjunction with a detailed description of a preferred form of the invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved lamp mounting arrangement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved lamp mounting arrangement which is easily manufactured, easily installed and permits easy and a precise installation of fluorescent-type lamps therein.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved terminal block of universal design for lamp mounting, which is economical to manufacture because of its novel versatile wiring arrangement.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved lamp mounting arrangement having novel terminal blocks which are easily installed since each requires only a single fastener for rigid mounting.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to the man in the art who reads the description and studies the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a broken plan view of a lamp mounting arrangement embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the lamp mounting arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the lamp mounting arrangement of FIG. 1 with the side of the lamp tray broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged free body top plan view of the right-hand terminal block in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the terminal block of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the terminal block of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the left-hand terminal block in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 88 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a lamp mounting arrangement is illustrated which includes a lamp tray 10 formed by upstanding side walls 11 and 12, end walls 13 and 14, and a bottom wall 15. Lamp socket terminal blocks 16 and 17 are joined to the end walls 13 and 14, and serve as mountings for known types of fluorescent lamps 18 and 19. Each of the lamps 18 and 19 is of uniform design and is provided at opposite ends with an end cap 29 formed of conducting materials such as brass or the like. A coaxial center conductor 21 is disposed within the cap and insulating material 22 of known type fills the space between to close off the end of the glass envelope.

Each terminal block is provided with lugs 23 and 24 at opposite ends, which lugs are receivable in slots 25 and 26 formed in the end wall 13. Slots are also provided at a similar location in the end wall 14 for a co-operation with lugs on the terminal block 17. A central portion of the terminal block 16 intermediate the lugs 23 and 24 is tapped at 27 to receive a threaded fastener 28 which pulls the block against a layer of insulation 3i) interposed between the associated end wall 13 and the block 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6 and 8, the details of the terminal block 16 will be described. The terminal block 16 has a main body 36 including a pair of generally U-shaped transversely extending slots 31 and 32. The outer sides of the slots 31 and 32 are defined on end walls 33 and 34 while a common center wall 35 defines the inner sides. Beneath the main body 36, runners 37 and 38 are formed which extend along the outer longitudinal edge, while a central runner 39 is disposed intermediate the other two. These runners divide the underside of the main body 36 into two longitudinally extending conductor mounting grooves 40 and 41 which extend across the entire length of the terminal block 16 and which are disposed at different elevations as is apparent in FIGS. 5 and 8.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outside runner 37 is interrupted as at 42 and 43 to form a vertical groove which communicates with the transverse slots 31 and 32 respectively, and the longitudinal conductor mounting groove 40. Generally T-shaped center terminal conductors 44 and 45 are disposed in the longitudinal groove 40 and have the conductor portions extending through the vertical grooves 42 and 43. Each of the center terminal T-shaped conductors 44 and 45 is of uniform design having a vertical upstanding portion 46 which is reversely curled into a free end 47 adapted for resilient contact with the center terminal 21 on the associated lamp.

The cross portion 48 of the T is folded at a right angle to the upstanding portion 46 and is disposed in the longitudinal groove 49 being joined by eyelets or rivets 5t and 51 to the body 36 of the block. An angle terminal 52 adapted to receive a quick-type electrical connection is also joined by the rivet 51 to the center terminal 44 through a flange 53. The flange 53 is chosen to be of a lateral dimension so as to transversely fill the groove 40. It also covers the cross portion of the center terminal 44 a suflicient degree to provide good electrical conductance. Inasmuch as the flange 53 substantially fills the transverse width of the groove 40 and the rivet or eyelet 51 maintains it Within the side margin defined by the runners 37 and 39, the angle terminal 52 is rigidly held by a single fastener. A similar angle terminal 54 co-operates with the center terminal 45 in an identical manner to the center terminal 44 and angle terminal 52 described above.

As seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, generally U-shaped spring clips 55 and 56 are disposed within the transverse slots 31 and 32 and are adapted resiliently and conductingly to engage the end caps 20 on the lamps 13 and 19. The U-shaped spring clips are of uniform construction, and therefore specific description will be limited to the clip 55.

Spring clip 55 includes a base 57 and upstanding legs 53 and 59 which are inwardly bent as at 69 and 61. The vertical height of the bent portions 69 and "61 is greater than the radius of the end cap 20 so when the lamp is installed, the bent portions 613 and 61 will extend past the center to serve a retaining function.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, the main body 36 of the terminal block 16 is provided with a stepped portion forming a shoulder 62 which abuttingly receives the base 57 of the U-shaped spring clip 55. A single fastener 63 which may consist of a rivet, eyelet or the like extends through the base 57 of the clip 55 and body 36 into the center of the groove 41. An angle terminal 64 adapted to receive a quickly attachable connection 64 is identical in construction to the angle terminals 52 and 54 having a rectangular flange pierced and held within the groove 41 by means of the single fastener 63 which also serves to mount the U-shaped spring clip 55. A similar type angle terminal 65 is provided for the spring clip 56 being fastened in an identical manner.

As seen in FIG. 6, each conducting terminal 44 and 45 and U-shaped clip 55 and 56 is electrically independent of theother, each being provided with its own input terminal. Obviously, any desired circuit arrangement may be wired in the terminal block simply by placing the conducting strips in any desired fashion within the grooves 40 and 41.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the lamps 18 and 19 may be installed by merely pressing the same in the U-shaped spring clip which pass slightly over the center of the end cap 20 to hold the lamp in place. The end terminal 22 is engaged by the center conductors 44 and 45 with the free end 47 deflectable to maintain good electrical contact. The insulation 36 prevents the accidental shorting of the terminals 44 and 45 against the lamp tray during installation and removal of the lamps. Obviously, the insulation 30 may be omitted if the tray 10 is formed of insulating material such as plastic. Precision mounting of the lamps withminimum effort is possible inasmuch as the locating spring clips are precisely placed at manufacture. The lamp may be removed by merely exerting upward force causing the inwardly bent portions 60 and 61 on the legs 53 and 59 of the spring clip 55 to expand permitting easy removal.

The left-hand terminal block 17 of FIG. 1 is provided with a common Wiring arrangement as shown in FiG. 7 whereby the center conductors 70 and 71 are joined by a bus member 72 with the rivets 74, 75 and 76 holding the strips in conducting engagement within the groove 40.

'An angle terminal 77 is fastened by a rivet 78 through the flange thereof to complete the circuit. The U-shaped spring clips are wired through a common angle terminal 80, electrical continuity being provided by a transverse bus bar 81 fastened in place in the groove 41 by rivets 82 and 83. Angle terminals 77 and 80 are also fastened in the groove 41 in the same manner as previously described in conjunction with the angle terminal 52, with all angle terminals of uniform design for ease in manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

The circuit for the lamps 18 and 19 is traceable through four angle terminals 52, 54, 64 and 65 in the block 16 through the lamps 18 and 19, and out common terminals 77 and 89, respectively. Obviously, any desired circuit arrangement may be provided within each terminal block simply by riveting the conducting strips in the desired fashion within the grooves 40 and -41. If cross connection between grooves is desired, the center runner 39 may be interrupted in the manner of the outside runner 37 by modification of the mold.

Upon a consideration of the foregoing, it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention embodied herein. Therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lamp mounting arrangement comprising a lamp tray having upstanding end portions, notch means formed in each of said end portions, a lamp socket terminal block removably joined to each of said end portions by a single fastener extending therethrough and into said terminal block, lug means on said lamp socket terminal block receivable in said notch means to assist said single fastener in rigidly joining said terminal block to said end portion, each of said terminal blocks including a body portion having at least two generally U-shaped slots extending transversely thereof to form longitudinally aligned receptacles for reception of an end portion of a fluorescent lamp, means in each of said receptacles to conductingly engage and resiliently retain said lamps, and second conducting means centrally of each of said slots resiliently engaging a center terminal on said lamp.

2. A lamp mounting arrangement comprising a lamp tray having first and second terminal blocks disposed at opposite ends thereof, each of said terminal blocks'having a body portion and spaced transversely extending slots, downwardly projecting runners extending longitudinally along the edges and center of the underside of the body portion of each of said blocks to form with said body longitudinal grooves, one of said runners adjacent one edge being interrupted adjacent a central portion of each of said transverse slots to form a vertical groove to permit a center terminal conducting means to be fastened in one of said grooves and project upwardly through said groove for disposition of a free end portion thereof in a center portion of said slots for engagement with a center terminal on a lamp, and a generally U-shaped resilient conductor disposed in each of said transverse slots axially spaced from the associated center terminal conducting means, and means fastening each of said U-shaped conductor in said slots, said means comprising a conducting rivet joined to a conducting strip disposed in the other of said grooves.

3. The lamp mounting arrangement of claim 2 wherein said center terminal conducting means comprises a generally T-shaped strip having a cross portion and an upstanding portion, said 'cross portion being disposed in said groove and the upstanding portion folded upon itself at the free end in axial alignment with the center of said U-shaped conductor thereby to resiliently engage a center terminal of said lamp.

4. A terminal block adapted for use in mounting lamps, said terminal block comprising -a body portion, at least one slot extending transversely of said body portion, a shoulder in said slot, a U-shaped spring clip having a base portion thereof abutting said shoulder, longitudinal groove means formed on the underside of said body portion, conductor strip means carried in one of said groove means and. being fastened thereto by a single conducting fastener means joining said base portion and said conductor strip means.

5. The terminal block of claim 4 wherein a vertical groove communicates with a central portion of said transverse slot. and said longitudinal groove means, and an inverted T-shaped conducting terminal has a portion thereof mounted in said longitudinal groove means and extends upwardly through said vertical groove for disposition of a free end thereof in the center of said transverse slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,098,817 11/1937 Wiegand 3952 2,399,531 4/1946 Young 2405l.ll 2,563,146 8/1951 Wise 24051.l1

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LAMP MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A LAMP TRAY HAVING UPSTANDING END PORTIONS, NOTCH MEANS FORMED IN EACH OF SAID END PORTIONS, A LAMP SOCKET TERMINAL BLOCK REMOVABLY JOINED TO EACH OF SAID END PORTIONS BY A SINGLE FASTENER EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND INTO SAID TERMINAL BLOCK, LUG MEANS ON SAID LAMP SOCKET TERMINAL BLOCK RECEIVABLE IN SAID NOTCH MEANS TO ASSIST SAID SINGLE FASTENER IN RIGIDLY JOINING SAID TERMINAL BLOCK TO SAID END PORTION, EACH OF SAID TERMINAL BLOCK TO SAID END PORTION HAVING AT LEAST TWO GENERALLY U-SHAPED SLOTS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF TO FORM LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED TRANSVERSELY THEREOF TO FORM LONGITUDINALLY FLUORESCENT LAMP, MEANS IN EACH OF SAID RECEPTACLES TO CONDUCTINGLY ENGAGE AND RESILIENTLY RETAIN SAID LAMPS, AND SECOND CONDUCTING MEANS CENTRALLY OF EACH OF SAID SLOTS RESILIENTLY ENGAGING A CENTER TERMINAL ON SAID LAMP. 